Lizzie *** (2018, Chloë Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jamey Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Denis O’Hare, Kim Dickens ) – Movie Review

The tragic tale of Lizzie Borden offers a grand role for Chloë Sevigny, which she takes on eagerly in director Craig William Macneill’s psychological thriller Lizzie, based on the shocking, infamous 1892 murders. It is written by Bryce Kass, in a literate and intelligent screenplay, no doubt putting an imaginative spin on history.

Lizzie is a Victorian era lesbian, who falls for her family’s new Irish maid Bridget (Kristen Stewart), as does her abusive father Mr Borden (Jamey Sheridan), who controls the New England household with an intense gloomy frostiness, a household that also includes Lizzie’s sister Emma (Kim Dickens) and step-mother Abby (Fiona Shaw).

Mr Borden plots with Lizzie’s uncle John Morse (Denis O’Hare) over his inheritance, cutting out Lizzie from his will. Mr Borden is enraged when he finds Lizzie making out with Bridget in the barn.

Most people will know of the historical mad axe-woman Lizzie Borden but, luckily for this film, most people will probably not know any of the details, nor even if she manages to escape the wrath of the so-called justice system of the era. So that adds freshness and excitement to the occasion. But it is a chilly and claustrophobic film, understandably, running like a horror movie version of a BBC classic serial, which is not a bad combination when you think about it. It looks good, and right for the period, on what is probably a careful budget.

Its theme of women oppressed by awful men and society in general is put forward powerfully and well, and of course it remains relevant and contemporary, even if the metoo/ timesup women are not generally in favour of using axes. Talking of which, when the killing starts, the film goes pretty much full on Hammer Horror. It isn’t the first Lizzie Borden film and won’t be the last, but it is a good one to be going on with.

Kristen Stewart’s role is very subsidiary, giving her a problem to make herself felt in the movie, though she is entirely fine, ditto Kim Dickens as the sister, who doesn’t make much of an impression, and even Fiona Shaw as the step-mom if not from hell at least somewhere in the vicinity. At least Shaw is low key and not twitchy for a change, and fits into the ensemble. However, Jamey Sheridan is excellent in a brio turn as the dad, in admittedly the film’s second best role, a good one for any actor, not overplaying or underplaying, in fact playing just right, making Mr Borden a memorable minor monster of the Victorian era.

Sheridan is so good that he nearly steals the film from under Sevigny’s fine nose – nearly but not quite. Sevigny pitches it just right, humanising what could just be another horror movie monster. In fact the film is entirely on her side, totally sympathetic to her, making a strong case for axe murder, which is seen here as a kind of self defence, though she does go properly potty once she gets started. Now that is scary.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

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